Former Chief Assistant Testifies to Robert De Niro’s Aggressive Behavior in Court

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In recent court proceedings, Robert De Niro’s former chief personal assistant of over ten years, Graham Chase Robinson, provided testimony that characterized the actor’s temper as volatile, citing an incident in court earlier this week as indicative of his alleged abusive conduct toward her.

Robinson took the stand in a late session at the federal court in Manhattan, where a jury is examining the mutual civil complaints brought forth by De Niro and Robinson. Since concluding his testimony on Tuesday, De Niro, often referred to simply as “Bob” in the courtroom, has not made an appearance.

Robinson has initiated a lawsuit against the acclaimed actor, alleging gender discrimination and seeking retributive damages amounting to $12 million. Conversely, De Niro has filed a counterclaim accusing Robinson of violating her duty of loyalty and misappropriating 5 million air mile points meant for his children’s use—she was only authorized to use 1 or 2 million. He is claiming $6 million for this breach.

The courtroom witnessed De Niro’s temper when, frustrated by accusations of him being abusive and misogynistic, he berated Robinson, exclaiming, “Shame on you, Chase Robinson!” before swiftly offering an apology.

When questioned about the frequency of such outbursts from De Niro, Robinson recalled the recent courtroom incident, noting, “He yelled at me two days ago.”

Robinson’s testimony, which lasted approximately thirty minutes, was set to continue the following day.

Preceding her was the deposition of Tiffany Chen, De Niro’s partner, who reported several conflicts with Robinson in 2019 related to a townhouse acquisition and subsequent planning, which eventually led to Robinson’s departure from Canal Productions, one of De Niro’s businesses.

Starting in 2008 and with her role evolving from executive assistant to vice president of production and finance, Robinson’s compensation increased from an initial $75,000 to $300,000. De Niro acknowledged the promotion was at Robinson’s behest, though he contended her responsibilities remained unchanged.

Chen, in a series of email exchanges presented to the jury, accused Robinson of fostering a delusion of closeness with De Niro, branding her as “mean, insecure, territorial” and likening her behavior to that of a spouse or the “lady of the house.”

When cross-examined about these emails, Chen doubled down on her accusations, labeling Robinson as “crazy.”

Robinson, in response to suggestions that she harbored romantic feelings towards De Niro, firmly rejected any attraction to him and denied aspirations of cohabitation, marriage, or starting a family with him.

In further testimony, Robinson described her obligation to be on-call, referencing the so-called “bat phone” that De Niro expected her to answer regardless of the hour. Contrary to De Niro’s statement that his calls were within “civilized hours,” Robinson delineated a rigorous communication schedule with him that could begin as early as 5:30 a.m. and extend as late as 10:30 p.m.

The expectation of her constant availability was such that she would carry her phone even to the restroom and steer clear of areas lacking cellular reception.

Robinson recounted instances where De Niro would insist on contact even during her personal time, such as attending to family emergencies or social occasions. She remembered a particular night when De Niro requested she deliver a martini to him post-midnight, which she did, finding him in his nighttime attire.

The court will continue to hear Robinson’s detailed accounts as the case progresses.

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More about De Niro assistant lawsuit

• Robinson vs. De Niro Court Details
• De Niro Apology After Courtroom Outburst
• Tiffany Chen’s Allegations Against Robinson
• Robinson’s Working Conditions Testimony
• Robinson Denies Romantic Interest in De Niro